Ashton started Kindergarten this year…along with the WHOLE neighborhood. It is soooo fabulous that he has so many friends in his class and that they all get to ride the bus together. Ashton was soooo excited!

Jayda, Druw, Ashton and Banks, waiting for the bus. You should have seen the swarm of parents taking pictures. 🙂

Getting on the bus. I witnessed Ashton’s first and probably most important “school” lesson…”No butts!” LOL! That’s right, it lives on! When I went to elementary school in Utah, we all said “No butts!” Well, when we moved to California, that was just another cultural shock that added to my nerdery. They didn’t say ‘butts’, they said ‘cuts’ which makes more sense. “No cutting in line!” Either way you say it, make sure YOU don’t do it!

Of course I was the psycho mom, jumping in my car, following the bus to school to see how cute Ashton was. Oh yes, I had tears in my eyes several times. He is just such a good little guy. I’m so proud of him!!!

Ashton ran into the house one hot afternoon and asked if he could have a lemonade stand. I had to encourage and nurture his entrepreneurial ideas, even though it is rare for any kid older than 5 to come past our house. His friend Alyssa was very supportive…

Waiting for customers….

Customers!!! My prayers were answered! Ashton actually made a lot of money! He was able to pay Alyssa a small wage and have lots left over that he is still saving for some Legos, of course.

We went to an Orem Owls Baseball game…

Cute Cari and Ethan

My boys

Ashton wanted to go camping…in the back yard. He slept out there until 3 AM. That was better than I expected.

Ashton experienced the death of his first pet. He loved and ‘fed’ this grasshopper for about 4 days. He took his little jar everywhere. Then once when Ashton was playing with him, the grasshopper jumped out of Ashton’s hands and…under his foot. SOOOO SAD!!!! Ashton cried as though his heart had truly broken.

Emmy taught herself how to ride a bike without training wheels. We have tried to help her here and there but she would SCREAM if we touched her and she would SCREAM when she would fall to the side. It was ridiculous. One day, from the kitchen window, I saw her out on the bike, figuring it out all by herself. Aaaaaand, just like that! She got it!

She also figured out how to swim under the water. I would laugh every time she went under to grab a ring. Her little bum is so funny!

I know!!! FOUR BIRTHDAYS in FOUR WEEKS?!?!?! Just believe me when I tell you that I was stressed out of my mind from the beginning of July until August 11th.

Ashton wanted to have a Star Wars party this year. I remember that my brother, our friends and I would always play Star Wars when we were little and we turned out…NOT like The Star Wars Kid…So I’m hoping that if I let him go crazy and embrace it now, he will have a healthy attitude towards it as he gets older…That he won’t end up like THESE guys….

LOVE IT!!!

So, for two days and nights before the party, Josh and I were working on Ash’s cake. My sweet, sweet Josh. Oh my. I started making this thing all by myself, not wanting to bug my very busy husband. I pulled out a bread loaf pan to make the body of this AT-AT Walker (I learned the real name and what it stands for while making this cake. I’m so embarrassed.) Josh asked what the heck that little pan was for. He decided that he had better become involved immediately and save Ashton’s birthday. Josh was definitely the director on this project. His vision is always bigger and better than mine (and USUALLY more simple…this time…not so much).

For the invitation, I made this short DVD. Josh created the DVD art.

Since the party was Jedi Training, the boys needed to complete a series of activities to hone their Jedi skills. (I was not able to take pictures of some of the activities. I am way bummed out about it.)

The first activity was LIGHT SABER TRAINING. This happened naturally as all the boys arrived and waited for the party to start. They were jumping all over couches, running all over, fighting with their light sabers. Check!

Then they had to USE THE FORCE as they played Pin-The-Explosion-On-The-Planets-and-Bad-Guy-Ships (That’s the name I gave it). I bought the game at Zurchers. It was lots of fun and I didn’t get any pictures. But they learned to listen to The Force (all the boys shouting out directions on where to stick the explosion stickers). Check!

Next, they all went to the backyard (THANK GOODNESS it was sunny) to complete an OBSTACLE COURSE. I really wanted to buy a Yoda backpack so they could really feel like Luke training in the swamp but it wouldn’t arrive in time. Anyhoo, here is how the obstacle course went:

Jump in pillow case

Balance Beam

Run around sports cones

Find and rescue Princess Leia from the sandbox

Run up the deck stairs and punch storm troopers (balloons) in the face or hit them with a light saber

Run back down and climb through lawn chair tunnel

Throw a water balloon at storm troopers

Climb up, over, and down ladder

Pick up light saber, yell “I’ll never join the Dark Side!!!” and chop off Darth Vader’s head (mask on a soccer ball sitting on a baseball tee)

CHECK!!!

Okay, so then they had to USE THE FORCE and their LIGHT SABER SKILLS to hit a Jedi Training Orb (Pinata). They were all excellent at this, as you might imagine. Tragically, I have no video footage! Anyhoo. Check!

We went inside for cake and Yoda Soda (green sherbet and Sprite).

After completing all the training exercises, each kid earned a Jedi robe. They were totally easy to make but this is what I looked like for a couple afternoons. Isn’t my little helper cute???…

After they had their robes on, it was time for the TRUE TEST of their Jedi-ness….

We have such great friends. I failed to mention that we called Mark DURING the party and asked if he could do us a HUGE favor (dress up like a storm trooper and get beaten by a bunch of boys). He came over immediately and even helped corral and maintain order with the pinata (as did Will). That is true friendship, I tell you!